peace

Mountain lions – also known as pumas, cougars, and even sometimes panthers – are the most widely distributed wild land mammal in the world. They are found from Canada to South America. There are an estimated 30,000 mountain lions in the United States, mostly in the West, but there are also mountain lions from the Midwest to the East Coast.

Unlike wolves or grizzly bears, mountain lions are not managed by the federal government; they are managed by states and state regulations vary greatly. In some places, hunting mountain lions is banned completely; in other places, it is always open season.

As more people encroach on wild land – building homes and small farms, as well as hiking and biking – the numbers of encounters between people and mountain lions are increasing. And when mountain lions lose their fear of people, there is trouble.

Since 1890, there have been at least 32 fatal mountain lion attacks on humans and more than 170 non-fatal attacks. California has seen the most attacks in the last 40 years with 22 people injured and four killed. Despite this, Californians passed a ballot initiative in 1990 that bans all hunting of mountain lions.

There are strategies to reduce habituation and instill fear of humans in mountain lions. One is called “tree-and-free” that uses dogs to chase mountain lions up trees. But there are opponents of this and other measures employed.

The fact is that there are simply too many mountain lions living in close proximity to humans and peaceful coexistence is very difficult to achieve. Places where hunting lions is permitted have few problems with them, but that is not a solution that is acceptable in many places. It’s a difficult problem.

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Deadly Encounter: Mountain Lion Attacks Spark Controversy

Photo, posted March 26, 2013, courtesy of the USFWS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Recently, United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres addressed the U.N. Security Council on the issue of the security threats created by rising sea levels. In the past, some members of the Security Council – notably Brazil, China, Russia, and at times, India – have argued that the U.N.’s climate program should address such issues and that the Security Council doesn’t have a mandate or the expertise to consider the issue. The underlying problem is that by addressing the security issues created by rising seas, other sensitive geopolitical issues might come to the forefront.

Guterres’ speech focused on the real possibility that rising seas could disrupt and destabilize global societies unless there is an organized international effort to get ahead of the problem. Major cities facing serious impacts from rising seas include Cairo, Lagos, Bangkok, Jakarta, Mumbai, Shanghai, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Buenos Aires, among others.

In all, Guterres said that the danger is most acute for about 900 million people living in low-lying coastal areas. Some countries, particularly small island developing countries, could disappear entirely.

The world is already facing refugee crises related to politics, warfare, and extreme weather. The flood of refugees created by rising seas could be biblical in magnitude.

The confluence of climate change and global security is growing steadily. As the global body primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security, the U.N. Security Council cannot duck this issue much longer. It has a critical role to play in building the political will required to address the security challenges looming from rising seas.

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Sea Level Rise Could Drive 1 in 10 People from Their Homes, with Dangerous Implications for International Peace, UN Secretary General Warns

Photo, posted July 19, 2021, courtesy of Face of the World via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The problem of mountain lions

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Sea Level Rise And Global Security | Earth Wise

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